Everything Fitness Q & A

I’ve been getting a lot of fitness + diet questions on Instagram lately so I thought I’d chat about it here. There has been so much change in my life the last few months, but the one thing I’ve kept consistent is my workout routine. When I am working out regularly, I feel like my life is together… even if it’s not! Working out hard is the one way I can finally get my brain to shut off and stop thinking. It’s like meditation for me.

I have done quite a few fitness-related posts on here where I talk more in depth about where I work out (Orangetheory) and why I’m so passionate about it. SO, if you are interested in those posts you can check them out here, here, and here. In today’s post, I’m doing a Q & A of fitness-related questions from an informal poll I did on Instagram. And if you aren’t already following me on Instagram, you can do that here!

The most popular question was…

What do you eat in a day? Food diary?

This is a TOUGH question for me to answer because what I eat varies so much. And I don’t count calories or macros, or truly even watch what I eat. And I do drink alcohol! oops 😉

I have found for me personally the more I obsess and try to be perfect with what I eat, I actually end up eating MORE. It’s like I am subconsciously self-sabotaging. Or maybe all the obsessing and thinking about food makes me more hungry! ha Or if I stay on track and eat “perfect,” it only lasts so long before I inevitably fall off the wagon. And when I fall, I fall hard. And want all the things. Yes, I can eat 5 pieces of pizza and 10 cookies. 🙂

But here is what I can tell you I eat/ drink for the most part…

Breakfast: I ALWAYS have 1-2 cups of coffee. I use my Keurig and don’t drink any artificially flavored anything or add sweetener. The only thing I add to my coffee is nonfat milk.

Today’s breakfast was two scrambled eggs, two pieces of Dave’s Bread low calorie whole wheat toast, and a green juice I made at home with my Breville juicer.

Snack: I’m usually starving two hours later. If I’m being good, I’ll try and force myself to eat a banana. My favorite snack is a ONE Bar… they taste as good as a candy bar but have 20 grams of protein and only 1 of sugar. My favorite flavors are Almond Bliss, Peanut Butter Pie, and Maple Glazed Doughnut.

Lunch: My lunch is almost always different, but my favorite lunch is a sandwich and chips (my weakness). Or chicken nuggets (from Trader Joe’s).

Dinner: Either taco salad (when I make tacos for Max I break one shell and use as a tostada and heap a huge salad over it), fish and rice, or cereal. haha

As I mentioned earlier, I do drink alcohol a few times a week. Usually it’s wine, or if I am out a vodka soda with lime. I almost never use a sugary mixer.

Even though I don’t obsess over what I eat, to be fair I almost never eat fast food or pizza, and I am not a dessert kind of girl. When I go out to dinner with my girls Lyndi and Evelyne, that all goes out the window and I eat everything. Including all of their dessert! It’s all about balance.

One thing is I try not to snack or eat late at night. I feel like that makes a big difference. And my lightest meal of the day is dinner.

Do you only do Orangetheory? Can you tell us more about it?

Yes, currently I am only doing Orangetheory to work out. I go 4 times a week! You can read more in depth on Orangetheory and why I love it here!

How do you stay inspired/ motivated?

My results are really what inspires and keeps me going. I have NEVER had abs in my entire life. I just didn’t think it was possible for me. So it’s rewarding to see results after the work I have put in, and I want to keep going. Also with taking photos of myself for the blog, working out is part of my job. The camera really does add like 10 pounds. Also I genuinely like working out, and I LOVE how I feel afterward.

What protein powders and supplements do you use?

I try not to drink my calories. If I have a protein drink, even though I feel full it’s like my mind isn’t satisfied and I want something to chew. I stick with my ONE protein bars right after a workout. As far as supplements, I take a pre-workout drink 20 minutes before I workout. This has really been HUGE in helping with my results. It gives me a boost of energy, and I push myself more than I normally would. It also helps with muscle recovery. I use this one, and the Blue Raspberry flavor is my favorite, although they are all pretty good.

Have you had any work done and would you do any?

Yes and yes! I have breast implants, and I shared my experience on the blog. 🙂 You can read that embarrassing post here! haha I haven’t had any other work done, and I’m not really interested. But never say never!

How to lose stubborn weight- like arms, love handles, and stomach?

I feel like this is 90% diet and 10% cardio. Keep in mind I am not a trainer or nutritionist! Just telling you my experience. Interval training on the treadmill is the way to go… always mixing up what you do.

How do you get those abs? And that butt?

It is all Orangetheory Mission Viejo. 🙂 The abs are diet and cardio. Whenever we do butt exercises I use the highest weight possible. Also Lululemon leggings make everything better. 🙂

How did you get to a 6 minute mile?

I LOVE this question! I definitely have not always been this fast. I think more than anything it was a mindset shift. I grew up not believing I was athletic. It wasn’t until my 20’s that I realized I loved working out and was good at competitive spots. When it was kind of too late. I was only able to get to a 6 minute mile from Orangetheory. At Orangetheory you wear a heart rate monitor during class, and you can see your heart rate zone up on a big screen. As I continued taking class, I could see that running the same pace wasn’t making my heart rate go up as high so I would dial up my pace a few notches. If I didn’t wear the heart rate monitor, I am certain I wouldn’t have been increasing my speed as much as I have. My base pace is a 7.0, push pace 9.0, and all-out is 11 or 12 depending how long it is.

How do you maintain a steady workout schedule with a son and busy life?

By planning! Scheduling out my workouts in advance based on what I have planned for the week- as far as Max’s school schedule, events, meetings, and shoots. And trying to keep the times I work out consistent so it’s part of my routine/ schedule. I definitely make working out a top priority. I would love to work out 5 days a week, but unfortunately with my schedule that can’t really happen unless I let other things slide so 4 times a week is where it’s at.

How did you bounce back so quickly?

I am in better shape now than before I had Max. I nursed him for almost two years so that helped get the initial weight off. I was skinny, but I had no muscle tone. I tried other workouts like Barre and group training, but I really fell in love with Orangetheory. The vibe, the loud music, and you feel so good after class! And so sweaty!

How do you keep from falling off the wagon?

I do fall off the wagon every now and again, but that hasn’t happened in over a year… maybe years. I think the key to not falling off the wagon is DON’T BURN YOURSELF OUT. Take intentional/ planned days off from working out. I usually don’t work out on the weekends at all, unless for some reason I had a busy week and was only able to get in 3 workouts. Then by Monday I actually miss working out and feel refreshed and ready to go. Also working out with friends helps keep you motivated. And investing in cute workout clothes you feel good in!

And last I think we all fall off the wagon for a day or two with eating and indulging… but it’s NOT using that an an excuse to give up completely.

I have been working out at Orangetheory for a few years, but I have seen the most significant results in the past 8 months. So here is what I’m doing differently:

1. Taking a pre-workout drink. (see above)
2. Pushing myself even harder while I work out. It’s only in this past year that I was brave enough to try and max my speed at 12.0. I use 20 pound dumbbells when I can. I feel for women, the cardio is really what sheds the extra layer of fat so you can see those cute little muscles.
3. Slowing it down in the weight room. When I first tried Orangetheory, I would scramble to be the first one done. But now I really take my time and try and feel the exercise I am doing- with the maximum amount of weight. I only try to be fast on the treadmill and rower. 😉
4. Eating less in general. Not necessarily eating better or trying to cut down, I am just busy with having moved and trying to get ducks in a row that I am not as hungry and interested in eating. Also I used to cook these big, heavy meals for the family, and now that it is just me and Max I keep it really simple and basic. My dinners aren’t as big, and I think that makes a HUGE difference going to bed lighter without a full meal in your belly.

Did you make it to the end of the post? Whew, that was a long one! Thanks for reading guys and have an amazing weekend!!!